Deforestation in the Postwar Philippines,by David M. Kummer,Power from the Forest,by Marites Danguilan Vitug; Hope for the Seeds,by Vincent Busch

Abstract

During the second half of the twentieth century, the forests of the Philippines have been destroyed at an unprecedented rate. In 1934, 57.3 percent of the total land area of the Philippines was classified as forest land. Sixty years later that figure had dropped to only 13.5 percent. Many observers believe that parts of the country are on the brink of ecological collapse and that, if the country is to remain habitable, drastic action is needed to protect the remaining forests and rehabilitate the ones that have been destroyed. Furthermore, the destruction of the forests has been highly detrimental to many of the country's indigenous people, whose way of life depends on access to forest resources.